Friday, April 25, 2014

Importance of Human Life

Human Life is very rare.Around you ,you see so many species. There are around 84 lakh species.Human birth is very very rare and Human being is the only creature that can think rationally.In Science also there is a saying that Human being is a rational animal.So we have been given the facility to think rationally and question to reason, to Inquire.

Animals also have Intelligence, they also have senses, they also have a body, they also have desire to enjoy, but they cannot make such inquires, they speak their own languauges.Dont think that Humans are the only once who can speak.Birds are chirping in the Morning when they wakeup , we feel that they are just making some sounds, actually they are communicating.We are yet to learn the language of the birds.

When Krishna was in Vrindavan, he used to speak the language of the birds, of the Cows, of the peacocks. So they also communicate, but the subject matter of communication is not very great among the lower species. So Human life has a purpose and that Purpose has been singled out as 'Self-Realization'. This is important because we all are seeking Happiness. Joy it is in our nature.

WE ARE SEEKERS OF JOY ,EACH ONE OF US.

So in order to really experience Happiness, which will give us true pleasure that Happiness you are seeking, is by knowing our Actual Self .

Now the clue to this Understanding who we are, is given in the scriptures, somebody may not take the help of the scriptures and directly they may try it to find out, Who Am I? What is my actual nature?But such direct Inquires are not very fruitful. It just like somebody wants to do about mathematics but they dont go to School, they dont Systematically study of which is already known, they may discover on their own stuffs like Numbers , algebra, Calculas, trigonometry everything.

Very Systematically only, One can learn and go further rapidly.Same way , in Scriptures the Knowledge is Systematically presented and you can just learn that and do your exploration.In fact the Scriptures are so perfect that all knowledge is available, unlike the modern system of education where its available to certain limit, beyond that they have to do further research , further exploration.
Here Complete Knowledge is available , so you can save time.If you take this knowledge by proper method you can save time.If somebody goes School they save time and learn the Basics in a much better way.Similarly if you read the scriptures Systematically, then you save time, So in Scriptures it is explained
'We are not thisBody We are Spirit Soul'

So this Spirit Soul means that our Happiness is Spiritual not Material.Body is of one Nature called material nature, matter, of which we have experience.EVERY THING WE EXPERIENCE IS MATTER.
But there is also something called spirit which is different of matter. So that spirit has got different Characteristic , different nature. So our Happiness actually that we are really seeking, even though we donot exactly know what it is, it is actually Spiritual Happiness, that will truly make us happy.
That Spiritual Happiness is available in our relationship or connection with the Supreme Spirit Krishna and that Relationship should be that of Love between yourself and Krishna , that essence is called Self-Realization.

Now if somebody wants to really discover this or understand this, through analytical Study of
what is this body?
what is matter?

Then it takes a lot of time.But when we are given this knowledge ,there is a method to actually understanding this and realizing this knowledge.A simple method called Bhakti Yoga, then quickly we come to the platform of understading this reality in a very very very very Short time.So this understanding is given in the Scriptures espectially the Bhagvad Geeta and Srimad Bhagvatam.

Here it is explained that to understand this, to quickly realise this to appreciate this knowledge, temple of Lord is really essential

When people sometimes here the word Temple, people have a very narrow understanding of What a temple is. Temple means that which functions one more dieties ,Idols or statues and people go there to offer prayers, Worship. But actually a temple is more then that. A temple is actually the place where one should actually connect and get Self-Realization. Any temple traditionally, there are so many things happening in addition to worshipping of the Lord in the form of a dieties. If you visit Ancient temple, the temple itself has a structure that is very very very big,

for Instance the Jagannath Puri Temple

Or the Srirangam Temple Temple of Ranganathan

so huge the temples are why because there are so many activities going on, so primarily the temple is the center for learning Spiritual Subject Matter, just like you have school , colleges and differnt institutions where they teach differnt Subject matters. Like that a temple is a place where we can learn Spiritual Subject matter. Then temple is a place where you can practise certain Bhakti yoga principle.One of the principles of Bhakti Yoga is worship. Worshipping of the diety form of the Lord .because we already have a relationship with the Lord which is covered and that relationship has to be uncovered and one of the way to uncover the relationship is to worship the Lord.. Worshipping is an Act of Love. Offering something to the beloved.

Just like a boy and a Girl when they meet they exchange some Sweet Words, they Exchange some gifts or they share some delicious food item or they sing and dance together so similarly with God there is Love in the heart simply it has to be uncovered. Simply worshipping the Lord is Uncovering the Love within our hearts.

Krishna Says in Bhagvad Geeta If you offer with Love me a leaf,Flower, fruit or water, I accept it. Our own devotion is awaekned by this Act.

Generally everyone is born into Ignorance, specially Ignorance about God ,

We try to establish relationship around people first of all with our Mother, then Father, brother, Sister, friends and then so many other people, but none of those relationships can give us the real Happiness, because the nature of the relation ship is between two limited persons, every one except the Lord is Limited.So how can we reciprocate and how much can we give and take is limited. When we develop a Relationship with Certain people, we feel like talking with them, but how long can we go on talking talking eventually we will get bored...

How long does the HoneyMoon lasts. Because they are Limited person they cannot recieve unlimited Love., that is only possible with unlimited person Krishna or Lord. You can Love Krishna as much as you want to offer and recieve love from Krishna as much as you want.. This act of giving and reciveing Love is Worship.

But in beginning this worship has to be regulated, because when we approach Krishna, we might approach him in a matter of fact that he is one of us But actully he is not a Limited person like us. and secondly he is not in need like any of us. He is not in need of Love, he is not seeking Love or Joy or Happiness like we are seeking. His Level is different his position is differnent. so to recognise how to relate with him , the steps we have to take is one of regulation. So there are some simple rules.

What are those Simple Rules?

you go through a person who knows Krishna , who has already established a relationship with Krishna and such a person is called Guru or the Spiritual Master. So go through Guru. Guru will introduce you to Krishna properly and actually when proper introduction is there, developing that relationship becomes very smooth and very easy.Otherwise there can be so many misundertandings .

The First misunderstanding is 'He is Like us' , thats completly wrong. He is not like one of us.Even though there are common qualities, we share with Krishna, there are some differnces also.So its simple regulation is begin by worshipping that consists of Singing for Krishna or prayers to Krishna , Gloryfying him and offering some Flower or food stuff or some nice ediables and Krishna reciprocates everytime you offer. Krishna recognises when you offer prayers and he reciprocates with you inside your heart.When you bow down to him again in your heart he reciprocates. When you give him food he reciprocates back by giving you back the food in form of Prasadam.

What is Prasadam?

He induces Love in that foodstuff and gives it back to you.So when you eat that you are able to experience the Love for Krishna. You see when you eat the food Prepared by your Mother at home with love , it is not same as eating in the restaurant cooked by some commercial guy who simply cooks for some money making a business. So when you offer food to krishna , it returns it back with Love and that is called Prasadam. Even if you cannot offer you can easily recieve prasadam, that is the Mercy of Krishna and taste the Love.

Krishna is not a person like us. He is a very refined person. He is a perfect Gentlemen who is very Sensitive. So we should learn how to reciprocate with him, interact with him how to approach him. A little refinement in our Conciouness, our Behaviour is required because we have taken wrong habits in association with other cruel people. Certain types of Interactions we have learnt we have picked up. which is not actually refined, not a true Gentlemen

Our relationship with others is always a selfish Interest

Like when We talk or connect with somebody , We think what we can get from this person, this is not the charecteristic of Love.LOVE means what can i offer for the other persons pleasure or happiness. So go to Krishna not with the Idea of what you can get from Krishna, go with the Idea that What I can offer to Krishna.

So you never go to Krishna asking something for yourself. Always approach him to offer him something just to reciprocate, just to establish relationship, that is Important.

Temple is a Place

where you are able to worship, able to participate in differnt activities for exchange of his Love and certain days are special days (festivals) where there is special offerings, special programs, special decorations, special type of interaction, we take a lord on a special stroll and for the pleasure of lord and devotees there will be special dance festivals . This is just to revive the

relationship with the Supreme Personality.

In Vedic Literatue it is mentioned that everyday is a festival its said 'Nityam Mahotsava'.

Material World is a discouraging place, everybody is out there to exploit each other.even though welfare activities are there they always have some selfish Interests.But with Krishna there is no question of Selfish Interest. So Vedas are mentioned to revive the lost relationship with Krishna. The priest in the temple who worships the Lord is supposed to impart vedic Knowledge, but it is rarely happening. Devotees should ask the Priest questions as

whom they are Worshipping

Why they are worshipping

What is the Spiritual Science behind it

What is the background Knowledge for the same.

So Temples and festivals are so important and so relevant for everyone.

All relationships are temporary and perishable.Everybody is going to die, so all these bodily relationships are meaning less actually.In a past life somebody must have started loving relationship with everyone , but what happened to that relationship, its a body and its all gone.But relationship with Krishna is not like that. Krishna is Eternal , Soul are eternal, our relationship with him is eternal and this is possible only in the Form of Human Life